David Raymond Amos @DavidRayAmos
Replying to @DavidRayAmos @Kathryn98967631 and 47 others
Methinks Vaughan Smith and his snobby buddies in the Frontline Club can cry me a river now N'esy Pas?
https://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.com/2019/04/wikileaks-founder-julian-assange.html
#nbpoli #cdnpoli
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-april-11-2019-1.5093429/julian-assange-s-arrest-is-a-vendetta-not-justice-says-friend-vaughan-smith-1.5093432
The Current
Julian Assange's arrest is 'a vendetta, not justice,' says friend Vaughan Smith
Assange arrested at Ecuadorian embassy in London Thursday
"When I saw Julian on Friday, he clearly expected this — in fact, I think half the press crop were outside the embassy, expecting it on the weekend," said Vaughan Smith, a freelance journalist and friend of Assange.
Smith told The Current's Anna Maria Tremonti that he was also not surprised by the arrest, but was "certainly saddened" by what he called "a very bad day for us all."
"I think it smacks of a vendetta, not justice."
Assange was arrested by British police on a U.S. extradition request Thursday, after they were invited into the Ecuadorian embassy. Police said the arrest was also related to Assange breaching British bail conditions.
His fight with authorities began in 2010, when he released reams of classified U.S. documents and videos about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with confidential diplomatic correspondence.
Smith said that while he didn't agree that everything Assange released should have been released, he did think the Wikileaks founder "triggered a discussion about transparency that is incredibly important."
"I support Julian because I think his rights as an individual reflect on us, his fellow citizens," he told Tremonti.
"I think how we treat somebody who we may not agree with, that tells us truths that we may not wish to know ... is a great comment on us."
Assange was living in the embassy under diplomatic asylum since 2012, but that asylum status was withdrawn this week, when Ecuador's president Lenin Moreno said Assange had repeatedly violated international conventions.
He first took refuge in the embassy to avoid being extradited to Sweden, where authorities wanted to question him as part of a sexual assault investigation. That probe was later dropped.
He thanked the Ecuadorian president for co-operating with Britain "to ensure Assange faces justice."
Click 'listen' near the top of this page to hear the full conversation.
Written by Padraig Moran, with files from Thomson Reuters. Produced by Karin Marley.
136 Comments
David R. Amos
Methinks Vaughan Smith and his snobby buddies in the Frontline Club can cry me a river now N'esy Pas?
https://twitter.com/DavidRayAmos/with_replies
David Raymond Amos @DavidRayAmos
Replying to @DavidRayAmos @Kathryn98967631 and 47 others
FYI after my email to Assange's Yankee lawyer Barry Pollack bounced I called him but he was on the phone and his assistant was too busy to listen to me so I gave up. Go Figure why I have no faith in lawyers
https://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.com/2019/04/wikileaks-founder-julian-assange.html
#nbpoli #cdnpoli
https://www.usatoday.com/
Your message wasn't delivered to bpollack@robbinsrussell.com because
the address couldn't be found, or is unable to receive mail.
This document was attached to the email
https://www.scribd.com/doc/
---------- Original message ----------
From: Newsroom <newsroom@globeandmail.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2019 13:41:38 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Attn Barry Pollack, Theresa May, Zachary
Terwilliger and Tracy McCormick Re the imprisonments of Chelsea
Manning and Julian Assange
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Thank you for contacting The Globe and Mail.
If your matter pertains to newspaper delivery or you require technical
support, please contact our Customer Service department at
1-800-387-5400 or send an email to customerservice@globeandmail.
If you are reporting a factual error please forward your email to
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This is the correct email address for requests for news coverage and
press releases.
---------- Original message ----------
From: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2019 09:40:29 -0400
Subject: Attn Barry Pollack, Theresa May, Zachary Terwilliger and Tracy McCormick
Re the imprisonments of Chelsea Manning and Julian Assange
To: theresa.may.mp@parliament.uk, mayt@parliament.uk, pm@pm.gc.ca,
Katie.Telford@pmo-cpm.gc.ca, Zachary.terwilliger@usdoj.gov,
tracy.mccormick@usdoj.gov, joshua.stueve@usdoj.gov,
william.barr@usdoj.gov, Brenda.Lucki@rcmp-grc.gc.ca,
hon.ralph.goodale@canada.ca, washington.field@ic.fbi.gov,
bpollack@robbinsrussell.com
Cc: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Gilles.Blinn@rcmp-grc.gc.ca, Mark.Blakely@rcmp-grc.gc.ca,
Newsroom@globeandmail.com, ed.pilkington@guardian.co.uk,
news-tips@nytimes.com, news@hilltimes.com
https://www.usatoday.com/
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrested in London to face hacking
conspiracy charge in the US
Sean Rossman, Doug Stanglin and Bart Jansen, USATNetwork Published
5:50 a.m. ET April 11, 2019
'Barry Pollack, a U.S. lawyer for Assange, criticized the arrest and
said Assange would need medical treatment that had been denied for
seven years.
"It is bitterly disappointing that a country would allow someone to
whom it has extended citizenship and asylum to be arrested in its
embassy," Pollack said." Once his health care needs have been
addressed, the UK courts will need to resolve what appears to be an
unprecedented effort by the United States seeking to extradite a
foreign journalist to face criminal charges for publishing truthful
information."
Tel: 202.775.4514
Fax: 202.775.4510
bpollack@robbinsrussell.com
https://www.theguardian.com/
Theresa May has given a statement about Assange. Speaking to the
Commons before updating MPs on the Brexit delay, she said:
I am sure that the whole house will welcome the news this morning
that the Metropolitan Police have arrested Julian Assange – arrested
for breach of bail after nearly seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy.
He has also been arrested in relation to an extradition request from
the United States’ authorities. This is now a legal matter before the
courts. The home secretary will make a statement on this later, but I
would like to thank the Metropolitan Police for carrying out their
duties with great professionalism and to welcome the cooperation of
the Ecuadorian government in bringing this matter to a resolution.
This goes to show that, in the United Kingdom, no one is above the
law.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-
Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Eastern District of Virginia
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, April 11, 2019
WikiLeaks Founder Charged in Computer Hacking Conspiracy
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Julian P. Assange, 47, the founder of WikiLeaks, was
arrested today in the United Kingdom pursuant to the U.S./UK
Extradition Treaty, in connection with a federal charge of conspiracy
to commit computer intrusion for agreeing to break a password to a
classified U.S. government computer.
According to court documents unsealed today, the charge relates to
Assange’s alleged role in one of the largest compromises of classified
information in the history of the United States.
The indictment alleges that in March 2010, Assange engaged in a
conspiracy with Chelsea Manning, a former intelligence analyst in the
U.S. Army, to assist Manning in cracking a password stored on U.S.
Department of Defense computers connected to the Secret Internet
Protocol Network (SIPRNet), a U.S. government network used for
classified documents and communications. Manning, who had access to
the computers in connection with her duties as an intelligence
analyst, was using the computers to download classified records to
transmit to WikiLeaks. Cracking the password would have allowed
Manning to log on to the computers under a username that did not
belong to her. Such a deceptive measure would have made it more
difficult for investigators to determine the source of the illegal
disclosures.
During the conspiracy, Manning and Assange engaged in real-time
discussions regarding Manning’s transmission of classified records to
Assange. The discussions also reflect Assange actively encouraging
Manning to provide more information. During an exchange, Manning told
Assange that “after this upload, that’s all I really have got left.”
To which Assange replied, “curious eyes never run dry in my
experience.”
Assange is charged with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion and is
presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable
doubt. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in
prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than
the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine
any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines
and other statutory factors.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of
Virginia, John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National
Security, and Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the
FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after the charges
were unsealed. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Doherty-McCormick,
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kellen S. Dwyer, Thomas W. Traxler and Gordon
D. Kromberg, and Trial Attorneys Matthew R. Walczewski and Nicholas O.
Hunter of the Justice Department’s National Security Division are
prosecuting the case.
The extradition will be handled by the Department of Justice’s Office
of International Affairs.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S.
Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court
documents and information are located on the website of the District
Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching
for Case No. 1:18-cr-111.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a
crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless
proven guilty in court.
Attachment(s):
Download assange_indictment.pdf
Topic(s):
Cyber Crime
National Security
Component(s):
USAO - Virginia, Eastern
Contact:
Joshua Stueve
Director of Communications
joshua.stueve@usdoj.gov
https://www.justice.gov/usao-
Meet the U.S. Attorney
G. Zachary Terwilliger
Department of Justice
G. Zachary Terwilliger is the 62nd United States Attorney for the
Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA).
As the chief federal law enforcement officer in EDVA, Terwilliger
supervises the prosecution of all federal crimes and the litigation of
all civil matters in which the United States has an interest. As U.S.
Attorney, Terwilliger leads a staff of over 250 prosecutors, civil
litigators, and support personnel located in Alexandria, Newport News,
Norfolk, and Richmond.
Prior to his appointment as U.S. Attorney on May 25, 2018, Terwilliger
served as an Associate Deputy Attorney General, and Chief of Staff in
the Office of the Deputy Attorney General at the Department of
Justice. In that role, Terwilliger was a principal advisor to senior
Department of Justice leadership in areas such as corporate
compliance, federal, state and local law enforcement cooperation,
violent crime reduction, and other critical matters.
Credentialed media members may contact Joshua Stueve, Director of
Communications for the Eastern District of Virginia, at:
joshua.stueve@usdoj.gov or call 703-842-4050
By Telephone
Alexandria: (703) 299-3700
Newport News: (757) 591-4000
Norfolk: (757) 441-6331
Richmond: (804) 819-5400
https://davidraymondamos3.
Thursday, 11 April 2019
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrested, U.K. police say
Well I contacted and called Manning's lawyer first and it appeared that she didn't care about what I was trying to tell her. So I quickly gave up
https://moatlaw.com/contact-me/?contact-form-id=144&contact-form-sent=410&contact-form-hash=beec574a9a1f41b99215580c55181a3cca339b56&_wpnonce=1079676504#contact-form-144
Contact Me
If you are interested in a consultation, please leave your name, email, and a good number at which to reach you, along with a brief indication of what you want to meet about. Please do not leave any other information in this form, as it will not be considered privileged!
Message Sent (go back)
Name: David Raymond AmosEmail: motomaniac333@gmail.com
Phone Number: https://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.com/2019/04/wikileaks-founder-julian-assange.html
Subject of Requested Meeting: Perhaps we should discuss Manning's concerns ASAP?
https://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.com/2019/04/wikileaks-founder-julian-assange.html
Thursday, 11 April 2019
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrested, U.K. police say
https://twitter.com/DavidRayAmos/with_replies
David Raymond Amos @DavidRayAmos
Replying to @DavidRayAmos @Kathryn98967631 and 47 others
Methinks Manning's and Assange's lawyers should read paragraphs 82 and 83 of my lawsuit (Federal Court File No.T-1557-15) ASAP N'esy Pas?
https://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.com/2019/04/wikileaks-founder-julian-assange.html
#nbpoli #cdnpoli
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/assange-arrested-london-1.5093405
Moira Meltzer-Cohen
277 Broadway Suite 1501,
NY, NY 10007
t: 347.248.6771
https://twitter.com/DavidRayAmos/with_replies
David Raymond Amos @DavidRayAmos
Replying to @DavidRayAmos @Kathryn98967631 and 47 others
Methinks Manning's and Assange's lawyers should read paragraphs 82 and 83 of my lawsuit (Federal Court File No.T-1557-15) ASAP N'esy Pas?
https://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.com/2019/04/wikileaks-founder-julian-assange.html
#nbpoli #cdnpoli
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/assange-arrested-london-1.5093405
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrested, U.K. police say
3669 Comments
JOHN CHUCKMAN
One of the bravest men of our time. He along with Chelsea Manning offer the very definition of courage and honor.
I don't even want to believe this has happened, that he will end up in the hands of the vicious people running Washington, the people we see treating Venezuela with state terror, who daily kill in Syria, in Yemen, in Afghanistan, and a dozen other places.
Our world is literally turned upside down with genuine evil prevailing almost everywhere.
David R. Amos
Reply to @JOHN CHUCKMAN: Methinks you have no idea what he is really like. Check my work to see that i crossed paths with Assange BEFORE he was famous I did not trust him as far as I could throw him and made certain that his friends knew it Anyone can Google David Amos Julian Assange N'esy Pas?
David R. Amos
Reply to @David Allan: "If that's your measure of justice, you should be imprisoned for life."
Methinks Manning's and Assange's lawyers and YOU should read paragraphs 82 and 83 of my lawsuit (Federal Court File No.T-1557-15) ASAP N'esy Pas?
Sten Gunnerman
Journalism is now officially illegal.
Welcome to the Soviet States of America.
David R. Amos
Reply to @Sten Gunnerman: Ethical Journalism is a myth and Assange is merely one of crowd of sneaky people
Ryan Jason
Reply to @David R.
Amos: By your assessment I supposed we should have allowed Nixon to go
free and arrested the people who exposed Watergate.
David R. Amos
Reply to @Ryan Jason: Nay not so but they never told the whole truth either
David R. Amos
Reply to @Ryan Jason: Methinks anyone can Google David Amos Julian Assange N'esy Pas?
Robyn Chang
Political martyr - great example of what happens when the powerful don't like you. Hope he somehow gets out of this mess
David R. Amos
Reply to @Robyn Chang: "Hope he somehow gets out of this mess"
Methinks many people know that he is no political martyr and certain people know the fact that he is being sent to the USA will assist in my next lawsuit against the Crown bigtime. Trust that the NSA knows I am married to a Yankee lady and have two Yankee children. Furthermore nobody can deny that Canada, New Zealand and Australia are 3 parts of the Five Eyes and we all share the British Queen N'esy Pas?
Methinks many people know that he is no political martyr and certain people know the fact that he is being sent to the USA will assist in my next lawsuit against the Crown bigtime. Trust that the NSA knows I am married to a Yankee lady and have two Yankee children. Furthermore nobody can deny that Canada, New Zealand and Australia are 3 parts of the Five Eyes and we all share the British Queen N'esy Pas?
Jan Böhmermann
Assange's arrest is a *shame* for the so-called 'free world' and a travesty of human rights..
David R. Amos
Reply to @Jan Böhmermann: "Assange's arrest is a *shame* for the so-called 'free world' and a travesty of human rights."
Nope we may have got lucky. Methinks if he is wise he will now reveal who gave him the stuff on the DNC that helped to get Trump elected N'esy Pas?
Nope we may have got lucky. Methinks if he is wise he will now reveal who gave him the stuff on the DNC that helped to get Trump elected N'esy Pas?
Herb Gardener
Now the newsrooms working overtime to smear Assange and build a narrative that the public can swallow hook line and sinker.
Free Assange!
David R. Amos
Reply to @Herb Gardener: "Now the newsrooms working overtime to smear Assange"
Of course Methinks its all part of the wicked game they play for the benefit of the "Powers That Be". N'esy Pas?
Of course Methinks its all part of the wicked game they play for the benefit of the "Powers That Be". N'esy Pas?
Drew Farrell
Three Cheers for Julian Assange! And a big BOO to American Imperialism!
Benjamin Twine
Reply to @Drew Farrell:
It is Swedish Imperialism. That is where is going
It is Swedish Imperialism. That is where is going
David Allan
Reply to @Benjamin Twine:
No it isn't.
Read the article.
No it isn't.
Read the article.
Wayne West
Reply to @Benjamin Twine: No. He is going into the bowel of the beast that is the USA.
David R. Amos
Reply to @Wayne West: Methinks "The Donald" and his buddy Willy Barr already have indigestion N'esy Pas?
Shaun sturby
If it weren't for him we wouldn't know the truth of what many governments were doing to their own people.
David R. Amos
Reply to @Shaun
sturby: "If it weren't for him we wouldn't know the truth of what many
governments were doing to their own people."
True However what he has not revealed would astound you
True However what he has not revealed would astound you
Jose Smith
Good riddance to bad garbage . Terrible example of an immoral person self servicing con artist
David R. Amos
Reply to @Billy Smith: "the truth is so inconvenient for the Left"
and the right as well.
and the right as well.
John Sollows
I have always wondered why Assange seemed less enthusiastic about spilling beans on Putin than on the Obama administration.
Transparency is great, but there are optima to everything.
Transparency is great, but there are optima to everything.
David R. Amos
Reply to @David Allan: "I'm curious to see your math for how two US parties add up to four."
Democrats plus George Soros and Republicans plus the Koch Brothers equals four in my math book
Democrats plus George Soros and Republicans plus the Koch Brothers equals four in my math book
Eventually they were going to do this, especially since he kept doing things to irritate his hosts.
David R. Amos
Reply to @Robert Borden: "especially since he kept doing things to irritate his hosts."
Methinks if he took better care of his cat and his bathroom he would still be there N'esy Pas?
David R. Amos
Methinks Mr Assange's lawyers should read paragraph 83 of my lawsuit (Federal Court File No.T-1557-15) ASAP N'esy Pas?
Doug McComber
Reply to @David R. Amos: Methinks with your bright avatar and litany of "Methinks" posts on every article (and your lawsuit) that you are an attention seeker.
Andre Garafolo
Reply David R. Amosto @Doug McComber: Annoying, isn't it.
David R. Amos
Reply to @Doug
McComber: Methinks you should have read paragraph 82 of my lawsuit
before you offered your two bit worth N'esy Pas?
David R. Amos
Reply to @Andre Garafolo: Cry me a river
https://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.com/2015/09/v-behaviorurldefaultvmlo.html
Friday, 18 September 2015
David Raymond Amos Versus The Crown T-1557-15
Court File No. T-1557-15
FEDERAL
COURT
BETWEEN:
DAVID RAYMOND AMOS
Plaintiff
and
HER
MAJESTY THE QUEEN
Defendant
STATEMENT OF CLAIM
82. The
Plaintiff states that any politician or police officer should have seen enough
of Barry Winter’s WordPress blog by June 22, 2015 particularly after the very
unnecessary demise of two men in Alberta because of the incompetence of the
EPS. Barry Winters was blogging about the EPS using battering ram in order to execute a warrant for a 250
dollar bylaw offence at the same time Professor Kris Wells revealed in a
televised interview that the EPS member who was killed was the one
investigating the cyber harassment of him. It was obvious why the police and
politicians ignored all the death threats, sexual harassment, cyberbullying and
hate speech of a proud Zionist who claimed to be a former CF officer who now
working for the Department of National Defence (DND). It is well known that no
politician in Canada is allowed to sit in Parliament as a member of the major
parties unless they support Israel. Since 2002 the Plaintiff made it well known
that he does not support Israeli actions and was against the American plan to
make war on Iraq. On Aril 1, 2003 within two weeks of the beginning of the War
on Iraq, the US Secret Service threatened to practice extraordinary rendition
because false allegations of a Presidential threat were made against him by an
American court. However, the Americans and the Crown cannot deny that what he
said in two courts on April 1, 2003 because he published the recordings of what
was truly said as soon as he got the court tapes. The RCMP knows those words
can still be heard on the Internet today. In 2009, the Plaintiff began to
complain of Barry Winters about something far more important to Canada as
nation because of Winters’ bragging of being one of 24 CF officers who assisted
the Americans in the planning the War on Iraq in 2002. In the Plaintiff’s
humble opinion the mandate of the DND is Defence not Attack. He is not so naive
to think that such plans of war do not occur but if Barry Winters was in fact
one of the CF officers who did so then he broke his oath to the Crown the
instant he bragged of it in his blog. If Winters was never an officer in the CF
then he broke the law by impersonating an officer. The Plaintiff downloaded the
emails of the Privy Council about Wikileaks. The bragging of Barry Winters
should have been investigated in 2009 before CBC reported that documents released
by WikiLeaks supported his information about Canadian involvement in the War on
Iraq.
83. The Plaintiff states that
now that Canada is involved in more war in Iraq again it did not serve
Canadian interests and reputation to allow Barry Winters to publish the
following words three times over five years after he began his bragging:
Friday, October 3,
2014
Little David Amos’ “True History Of War” Canadian Airstrikes And
Stupid Justin Trudeau
Little David Amos’ “True History Of War” Canadian Airstrikes And
Stupid Justin Trudeau
Canada’s and Canadians free ride is over. Canada can no longer hide
behind Amerka’s and NATO’s skirts.
When I was still
in Canadian Forces then Prime Minister Jean Chretien actually committed
the Canadian Army to deploy in the second campaign in Iraq, the
Coalition of the Willing. This was against or contrary to the
wisdom or advice of those of us Canadian officers that were involved in
the
initial planning phases of that operation. There were significant
concern in
our planning cell, and NDHQ about of the dearth of concern for
operational guidance,
direction, and forces for operations after the initial occupation of
Iraq. At
the “last minute” Prime Minister Chretien and the Liberal government
changed
its mind. The Canadian government told our amerkan cousins that we would
not
deploy combat troops for the Iraq campaign, but would deploy a Canadian
Battle
Group to Afghanistan, enabling our amerkan cousins to redeploy troops
from
there to Iraq. The PMO’s thinking that it was less costly to deploy
Canadian
Forces to Afghanistan than Iraq. But alas no one seems to remind the
Liberals
of Prime Minister Chretien’s then grossly incorrect assumption.
Notwithstanding Jean Chretien’s incompetence
and stupidity, the Canadian Army was heroic, professional, punched well
above
it’s weight, and the PPCLI Battle Group, is credited with “saving
Afghanistan”
during the Panjway campaign of 2006.
What Justin
Trudeau and the Liberals don’t tell you now, is that then Liberal Prime
Minister Jean Chretien committed, and deployed the Canadian army to Canada’s
longest “war” without the advice, consent, support, or vote of the Canadian
Parliament.
What David Amos
and the rest of the ignorant, uneducated, and babbling chattering classes are
too addled to understand is the deployment of less than 75 special operations
troops, and what is known by planners as a “six pac cell” of fighter aircraft
is NOT the same as a deployment of a Battle Group, nor a “war” make.
The Canadian Government
or The Crown unlike our amerkan cousins have the “constitutional authority” to
commit the Canadian nation to war. That has been recently clearly articulated
to the Canadian public by constitutional scholar Phillippe Legasse. What
Parliament can do is remove “confidence” in The Crown’s Government in a “vote
of non-confidence.” That could not happen to the Chretien Government regarding
deployment to Afghanistan, and it won’t happen in this instance with the
conservative majority in The Commons regarding a limited Canadian deployment to
the Middle East.
President George
Bush was quite correct after 911 and the terror attacks in New York; that the
Taliban “occupied” and “failed state” Afghanistan was the source of logistical
support, command and control, and training for the Al Quaeda war of terror against
the world. The initial defeat, and removal from control of Afghanistan was
vital and essential for the security and tranquility of the developed world. An
ISIS “caliphate,” in the Middle East, no matter how small, is a clear and
present danger to the entire world. This “occupied state,” or“failed state”
will prosecute an unending Islamic inspired war of terror against not only the
“western world,” but Arab states “moderate” or not, as well. The security,
safety, and tranquility of Canada and Canadians are just at risk now with the
emergence of an ISIS“caliphate” no matter how large or small, as it was with
the Taliban and Al Quaeda “marriage” in Afghanistan.
One of the
everlasting “legacies” of the “Trudeau the Elder’s dynasty was Canada and
successive Liberal governments cowering behind the amerkan’s nuclear and conventional
military shield, at the same time denigrating, insulting them, opposing them,
and at the same time self-aggrandizing ourselves as “peace keepers,” and
progenitors of “world peace.” Canada failed. The United States of Amerka, NATO,
the G7 and or G20 will no longer permit that sort of sanctimonious behavior
from Canada or its government any longer. And Prime Minister Stephen Harper,
Foreign Minister John Baird , and Cabinet are fully cognizant of that reality.
Even if some editorial boards, and pundits are not.
Justin, Trudeau
“the younger” is reprising the time “honoured” liberal mantra, and tradition of
expecting the amerkans or the rest of the world to do “the heavy lifting.”
Justin Trudeau and his “butt buddy” David Amos are telling Canadians that we
can guarantee our security and safety by expecting other nations to fight for
us. That Canada can and should attempt to guarantee Canadians safety by
providing “humanitarian aid” somewhere, and call a sitting US president a “war criminal.”
This morning Australia announced they too, were sending tactical aircraft to
eliminate the menace of an ISIS “caliphate.”
In one sense Prime
Minister Harper is every bit the scoundrel Trudeau “the elder” and Jean ‘the
crook” Chretien was. Just As Trudeau, and successive Liberal governments
delighted in diminishing, marginalizing, under funding Canadian Forces, and
sending Canadian military men and women to die with inadequate kit and modern equipment;
so too is Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Canada’s F-18s are antiquated, poorly
equipped, and ought to have been replaced five years ago. But alas, there won’t
be single RCAF fighter jock that won’t go, or won’t want to go, to make Canada
safe or safer.
My Grandfather
served this country. My father served this country. My Uncle served this
country. And I have served this country. Justin Trudeau has not served Canada
in any way. Thomas Mulcair has not served this country in any way. Liberals and
so called social democrats haven’t served this country in any way. David Amos,
and other drooling fools have not served this great nation in any way. Yet these
fools are more than prepared to ensure their, our safety to other nations, and
then criticize them for doing so.
Canada must again,
now, “do our bit” to guarantee our own security, and tranquility, but also that
of the world. Canada has never before shirked its responsibility to its citizens
and that of the world.
Prime Minister Harper will not permit this country to do so now
From: dnd_mdn@forces.gc.ca
Date: Fri, 27 May 2011 14:17:17 -0400
Subject: RE: Re Greg Weston, The CBC , Wikileaks, USSOCOM, Canada and the War in Iraq (I just called SOCOM and let them know I was still alive
To: david.raymond.amos@gmail.com
This is to confirm that the Minister of National Defence has received
your email and it will be reviewed in due course. Please do not reply
to this message: it is an automatic acknowledgement.
>>>>
---------- Original message ----------
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 27 May 2011 13:55:30 -0300
Subject: Re Greg Weston, The CBC , Wikileaks, USSOCOM, Canada and the War in Iraq (I just called SOCOM and let them know I was still alive
To: DECPR@forces.gc.ca, Public.Affairs@socom.mil, Raymonde.Cleroux@mpcc-cppm.gc.ca, john.adams@cse-cst.gc.ca,
william.elliott@rcmp-grc.gc.ca, stoffp1 <stoffp1@parl.gc.ca>,
dnd_mdn@forces.gc.ca, media@drdc-rddc.gc.ca, information@forces.gc.ca, milner@unb.ca, charters@unb.ca, lwindsor@unb.ca, sarah.weir@mpcc-cppm.gc.ca, birgir <birgir@althingi.is>, smari <smari@immi.is>, greg.weston@cbc.ca, pm <pm@pm.gc.ca>,
susan@blueskystrategygroup.com, Don@blueskystrategygroup.com,
eugene@blueskystrategygroup.com, americas@aljazeera.net
Cc: "Edith. Cody-Rice" <Edith.Cody-Rice@cbc.ca>, "terry.seguin"
<terry.seguin@cbc.ca>, acampbell <acampbell@ctv.ca>, whistleblower <whistleblower@ctv.ca>
I talked to Don Newman earlier this week before the beancounters
David Dodge and Don Drummond now of Queen's gave their spin about Canada's
Health Care system yesterday and Sheila Fraser yapped on and on on CAPAC during her last days in office as if
she were oh so ethical.. To be fair to him I just called Greg Weston
(613-288-6938) I suggested that he should at least Google SOUCOM and David Amos
It would be wise if he check ALL of CBC's sources before he publishes something
else about the DND EH Don Newman? Lets just say that the fact that
your old CBC buddy, Tony Burman is now in charge of Al Jazeera English
never impressed me. The fact that he set up a Canadian office is interesting
though
http://www.blueskystrategygroup.com/index.php/team/don-newman/
http://www.blueskystrategygroup.com/index.php/team/don-newman/
Anyone can call me back and stress test my integrity after they read
this simple pdf file. BTW what you Blue Sky dudes pubished about
Potash Corp and BHP is truly funny. Perhaps Stevey Boy Harper or Brad Wall will fill ya in if you are to shy to call mean old me.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/2718120/Integrity-Yea-Right
The Governor General, the PMO and the PCO offices know that I am not a shy political animal
Veritas Vincit
David Raymond Amos
902 800 0369
Enjoy Mr Weston
http://www.cbc.ca/m/touch/news/story/2011/05/15/weston-iraq-invasion-wikileaks.html
"But Lang, defence minister McCallum's chief of staff, says military
brass were not entirely forthcoming on the issue. For instance, he
says, even McCallum initially didn't know those soldiers were helping
to plan the invasion of Iraq up to the highest levels of command,
including a Canadian general.
That general is Walt Natynczyk, now Canada's chief of defence staff,
who eight months after the invasion became deputy commander of 35,000 U.S. soldiers and other allied forces in Iraq. Lang says Natynczyk was also part of the team of mainly senior U.S. military brass that helped prepare for the invasion from a mobile command in Kuwait."
http://baconfat53.blogspot.com/2010/06/canada-and-united-states.html
"I remember years ago when the debate was on in Canada, about there being weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Our American 'friends" demanded that Canada join into "the Coalition of the Willing. American "veterans" and sportscasters loudly denounced Canada for NOT buying into the US policy.
At the time I was serving as a planner at NDHQ and with 24 other of my colleagues we went to Tampa SOUCOM HQ to be involved in the planning in the planning stages of the op....and to report to NDHQ, that would report to the PMO upon the merits of the proposed operation. There was never at anytime an existing target list of verified sites where there were deployed WMD.
Coalition assets were more than sufficient for the initial strike and invasion phase but even at that point in the planning, we were concerned about the number of "boots on the ground" for the occupation (and end game) stage of an operation in Iraq. We were also concerned about the American plans for occupation plans of Iraq because they at that stage included no contingency for a handing over of civil authority to a vetted Iraqi government and bureaucracy.
There was no detailed plan for Iraq being "liberated" and returned to its people...nor a thought to an eventual exit plan. This was contrary to the lessons of Vietnam but also to current military thought, that folks like Colin Powell and "Stuffy" Leighton and others elucidated upon. "What's the mission" how long is the mission, what conditions are to met before US troop can redeploy? Prime Minister Jean Chretien and the PMO were even at the very preliminary planning stages wary of Canadian involvement in an Iraq operation....History would prove them correct. The political pressure being applied on the PMO from the George W Bush administration was onerous
American military assets were extremely overstretched, and Canadian military assets even more so It was proposed by the PMO that Canadian naval platforms would deploy to assist in naval quarantine operations in the Gulf and that Canadian army assets would deploy in Afghanistan thus permitting US army assets to redeploy for an Iraqi operation....The PMO thought that "compromise would save Canadian lives and liberal political capital.. and the priority of which ....not necessarily in that order. "
You can bet that I called these sneaky Yankees again today EH John
Adams? of the CSE within the DND?
"I remember years ago when the debate was on in Canada, about there being weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Our American 'friends" demanded that Canada join into "the Coalition of the Willing. American "veterans" and sportscasters loudly denounced Canada for NOT buying into the US policy.
At the time I was serving as a planner at NDHQ and with 24 other of my colleagues we went to Tampa SOUCOM HQ to be involved in the planning in the planning stages of the op....and to report to NDHQ, that would report to the PMO upon the merits of the proposed operation. There was never at anytime an existing target list of verified sites where there were deployed WMD.
Coalition assets were more than sufficient for the initial strike and invasion phase but even at that point in the planning, we were concerned about the number of "boots on the ground" for the occupation (and end game) stage of an operation in Iraq. We were also concerned about the American plans for occupation plans of Iraq because they at that stage included no contingency for a handing over of civil authority to a vetted Iraqi government and bureaucracy.
There was no detailed plan for Iraq being "liberated" and returned to its people...nor a thought to an eventual exit plan. This was contrary to the lessons of Vietnam but also to current military thought, that folks like Colin Powell and "Stuffy" Leighton and others elucidated upon. "What's the mission" how long is the mission, what conditions are to met before US troop can redeploy? Prime Minister Jean Chretien and the PMO were even at the very preliminary planning stages wary of Canadian involvement in an Iraq operation....History would prove them correct. The political pressure being applied on the PMO from the George W Bush administration was onerous
American military assets were extremely overstretched, and Canadian military assets even more so It was proposed by the PMO that Canadian naval platforms would deploy to assist in naval quarantine operations in the Gulf and that Canadian army assets would deploy in Afghanistan thus permitting US army assets to redeploy for an Iraqi operation....The PMO thought that "compromise would save Canadian lives and liberal political capital.. and the priority of which ....not necessarily in that order. "
You can bet that I called these sneaky Yankees again today EH John
Adams? of the CSE within the DND?
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrested, U.K. police say
Police invited to Ecuadorian embassy after asylum withdrawn
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was
arrested by British police on Thursday after police were invited into
the Ecuadorian embassy where he has been holed up since 2012.
"Julian Assange, 47, has today, Thursday 11 April, been arrested by officers from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) at the Embassy of Ecuador," police said in a statement.
Police said they
arrested Assange after being "invited into the embassy by the
Ambassador, following the Ecuadorian government's withdrawal of asylum."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL1BCO2eCmk
Published on Apr 11, 2019
Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno said Assange's diplomatic asylum was withdrawn for repeated violations of international conventions. Ecuador received a guarantee from Britain that Assange would not be extradited to a country where he could face the death penalty, Moreno said.
Police
said Assange has been taken into "custody at a central London police
station where he will remain, before being presented before Westminster
Magistrates' Court as soon as is possible."
Assange took refuge in the embassy to avoid being extradited to Sweden, where authorities wanted to question him as part of a sexual assault investigation. That probe was later dropped.
Assange hadn't left the embassy since August 2012 for fear that if he steps off Ecuador's diplomatic soil he will be arrested and extradited to the United States for publishing thousands of classified military and diplomatic cables through WikiLeaks.
Assange's
relationship with his hosts collapsed after Ecuador accused him of
leaking information about Moreno's personal life. Moreno had previously
said Assange has violated the terms of his asylum.
WikiLeaks said Ecuador had illegally terminated Assange's political asylum in violation of international law.
"Julian Assange, 47, has today, Thursday 11 April, been arrested by officers from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) at the Embassy of Ecuador," police said in a statement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL1BCO2eCmk
WATCH: Julian Assange is CARRIED out of the Ecuadorian Embassy
1,128 views
Published on Apr 11, 2019
Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno said Assange's diplomatic asylum was withdrawn for repeated violations of international conventions. Ecuador received a guarantee from Britain that Assange would not be extradited to a country where he could face the death penalty, Moreno said.
British foreign minister Alan Duncan statement on arrest of Julian Assange:
“It is absolutely right that Assange will face justice in the proper way in the U.K. It is for the courts to decide what happens next.”
“It is absolutely right that Assange will face justice in the proper way in the U.K. It is for the courts to decide what happens next.”
Assange took refuge in the embassy to avoid being extradited to Sweden, where authorities wanted to question him as part of a sexual assault investigation. That probe was later dropped.
Assange hadn't left the embassy since August 2012 for fear that if he steps off Ecuador's diplomatic soil he will be arrested and extradited to the United States for publishing thousands of classified military and diplomatic cables through WikiLeaks.
Julian Assange is no hero and no one is above the law. He has hidden from the truth for years. Thank you Ecuador and President @Lenin Moreno for your cooperation with @foreignoffice to ensure Assange faces justice
WikiLeaks said Ecuador had illegally terminated Assange's political asylum in violation of international law.
With files from The Associated Press
CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practiceshttps://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/weston-canada-offered-to-aid-iraq-invasion-wikileaks-1.1062501
WESTON: Canada offered to aid Iraq invasion: WikiLeaks
The
same day Canada publicly refused to join the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of
Iraq, a high-ranking Canadian official was secretly promising the
Americans clandestine military support for the fiercely controversial
operation.
The revelation that Canadian forces may have secretly participated in the invasion of Iraq is contained in a classified U.S. diplomatic memo obtained exclusively by CBC News from the whistleblower website WikiLeaks.
On March 17, 2003, two days before U.S. warplanes launched their attack on Baghdad, prime minister Jean Chrétien told the House of Commons that Canadian forces would not be joining what the administration of then U.S. president George W. Bush dubbed the "coalition of the willing."
Chrétien's apparent refusal to back the Bush administration's invasion, purportedly launched to seize weapons of mass destruction possessed by Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein (which were never found), was hugely popular in Canada, widely hailed as nothing less than a defining moment of national sovereignty.
Greg Weston
But even as Chrétien told the Commons that Canada wouldn't participate in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Canadian diplomats were secretly telling their U.S. counterparts something entirely different.
The classified U.S. document obtained from WikiLeaks shows senior Canadian officials met that same day with high-ranking American and British diplomats at Foreign Affairs headquarters in Ottawa.
The confidential note, written by a U.S. diplomat at the gathering, states that Foreign Affairs official James Wright waited until after the official meeting to impart the most important news of all.
According to the U.S. account, Wright "emphasized" that contrary to public statements by the prime minister, Canadian naval and air forces could be "discreetly" put to use during the pending U.S.-led assault on Iraq and its aftermath.
At that time, Canada had warships, aircraft and over 1,200 naval personnel already in the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, intercepting potential militant vessels and providing safe escort to other ships as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, the post-Sept. 11, 2001, multinational war on terrorism.
The U.S. briefing note states: "Following the meeting, political director Jim Wright emphasized that, despite public statements that the Canadian assets in the Straits of Hormuz will remain in the region exclusively to support Enduring Freedom, they will also be available to provide escort services in the Straits and will otherwise be discreetly useful to the military effort.
"The two ships in the Straits now are being augmented by two more en route, and there are patrol and supply aircraft in the U.A.E. [United Arab Emirates] which are also prepared to 'be useful.'
"This message tracks with others we have heard," the U.S. diplomat wrote in his briefing note to State Department bosses in Washington.
"While for domestic political reasons… the GOC [Government of Canada] has decided not to join in a U.S. coalition of the willing,… they are also prepared to be as helpful as possible in the military margins."
The original U.S. briefing cable, dated the day of the meeting, was marked "unclassified." Two days later, the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa issued an urgent internal notice to "please destroy previous cable," replacing it with the same message but marked "confidential."
The Canadian official involved, James Wright, is now Canada's high commissioner in London. He declined to comment for this report.
The U.S. ambassador to Canada at the time, Paul Cellucci, says he couldn't be at the meeting in Ottawa that day — he was stranded in a snowstorm in the U.S. — but the version of events in the leaked memo "sounds right."
"The message from the Canadians was pretty clear," Cellucci told CBC News. "We are not putting boots on the ground in Iraq. We will say good things about the United States and not-so-good things about Saddam Hussein."
And finally: "We will keep our ships in the Persian Gulf helping in the war on terror — and any way else we can help."
Exactly what that meant for the Canadian naval ships and surveillance aircraft in the Gulf region at the time — and how much they ultimately became involved in the Iraq war — remains a matter of considerable debate.
Before the invasion of Iraq, the duties of the Canadian ships had been mainly to protect other vessels from attacks by militants and to intercept craft suspected of gun-running and other potentially militant-related activities.
The issue is what, if anything, changed after the Chrétien government decreed those ships and aircraft couldn't be involved in intercepting vessels connected to the Iraq war.
Three
months before the Iraq invasion, the then Canadian defence minister
John McCallum, right, met with U.S. counterpart Donald Rumsfeld, left,
whose diplomats had told him to keep his expectations 'modest' for what
Canada might contribute to the war. ((CBC))
Eugene
Lang, chief of staff to then defence minister John McCallum, says there
was no end of internal debate over whether the Canadian Forces were
being put into a mission impossible.
"How do you know if something is connected to terrorism or Iraq? When you are intercepting unknown boats, you don't know what you have taken over until you have taken it over."
Lang says that after "painful" consultations with federal lawyers, the Department of National Defence issued Canadian naval commanders in the Gulf clear orders not to engage in anything to do with Operation Iraqi Freedom.
"But who knows whether in fact we were doing things indirectly for Iraqi Freedom? It is quite possible."
McCallum's former chief recalled a bitter internal battle over whether to pull the Canadian ships out of the Gulf altogether to avoid any confusion.
"For a long time, the [Canadian] military pushed really hard not to be in Afghanistan, and instead be part of a full-blown boots-on-the-ground Iraq invasion," Lang said.
"So the military was dead set against pulling out [of the Gulf], and in the end the government decided we would stay mainly, I think, for Canada-U.S. relations."
Former defence minister McCallum recalls he and his officials having "extremely long and detailed meetings to make sure that we were not in fact committing to help the war in Iraq."
"Now, what happens on the high seas is not something I can prove or disprove, but those were the orders that the military had."
Ironically, after all the fuss, the Americans didn't seem to care whether Canada contributed a lot of military might to the Iraq mission.
A former senior Canadian bureaucrat said: "The Americans knew we were stretched to the limit on the military side, and they really just wanted a political endorsement of their plan to go into Iraq."
Former U.S. ambassador Cellucci concurred: "We were looking for moral support. That's all we were looking for.… We were looking for 'we support the Americans.' "
Flight
deck crew watch as a U.S. F/A-18 Hornet launches from an aircraft
carrier in the Persian Gulf one week into the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Canada had two warships nearby at the time, and secretly offered to make
them 'useful' to the U.S., a leaked American document says. ((Steve Helber/Associated Press))
Then
defence minister McCallum met with his counterpart, U.S. defence
secretary Donald Rumsfeld, three months before the Iraq invasion.
McCallum recalls Rumsfeld never even mentioned Canada's possible
military contribution to Iraq.
A U.S. diplomatic briefing note prepared for Rumsfeld prior to the meeting states: "As for what Canada might bring to the table, our expectations should be modest."
The memo, also obtained by CBC News from WikiLeaks, goes on to say: "Canada probably would need to use assets currently devoted to Operation Enduring Freedom, including a naval task group [in the Gulf] and patrol and transport aircraft."
If the secret U.S. memos cast doubts on Canada's status as a refusenik of the Iraq war, the public also didn't exactly get the whole truth about a group of Canadian soldiers the government admitted were in Iraq.
From the outset, the Chrétien government said a "few" Canadian soldiers embedded with the U.S. and British militaries as exchange officers would be allowed to remain in their positions, even if they wound up in Iraq.
While the revelation caused a ruckus in Parliament, it all sounded relatively innocuous at the time.
But Lang, defence minister McCallum's chief of staff, says military brass were not entirely forthcoming on the issue. For instance, he says, even McCallum initially didn't know those soldiers were helping to plan the invasion of Iraq up to the highest levels of command, including a Canadian general.
That general is Walt Natynczyk, now Canada's chief of defence staff, who eight months after the invasion became deputy commander of 35,000 U.S. soldiers and other allied forces in Iraq. Lang says Natynczyk was also part of the team of mainly senior U.S. military brass that helped prepare for the invasion from a mobile command in Kuwait.
The Department of National Defence refused to comment on Natynczyk's role, if any, in the invasion of Iraq.
The revelation that Canadian forces may have secretly participated in the invasion of Iraq is contained in a classified U.S. diplomatic memo obtained exclusively by CBC News from the whistleblower website WikiLeaks.
On March 17, 2003, two days before U.S. warplanes launched their attack on Baghdad, prime minister Jean Chrétien told the House of Commons that Canadian forces would not be joining what the administration of then U.S. president George W. Bush dubbed the "coalition of the willing."
Chrétien's apparent refusal to back the Bush administration's invasion, purportedly launched to seize weapons of mass destruction possessed by Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein (which were never found), was hugely popular in Canada, widely hailed as nothing less than a defining moment of national sovereignty.
But even as Chrétien told the Commons that Canada wouldn't participate in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Canadian diplomats were secretly telling their U.S. counterparts something entirely different.
The classified U.S. document obtained from WikiLeaks shows senior Canadian officials met that same day with high-ranking American and British diplomats at Foreign Affairs headquarters in Ottawa.
The confidential note, written by a U.S. diplomat at the gathering, states that Foreign Affairs official James Wright waited until after the official meeting to impart the most important news of all.
According to the U.S. account, Wright "emphasized" that contrary to public statements by the prime minister, Canadian naval and air forces could be "discreetly" put to use during the pending U.S.-led assault on Iraq and its aftermath.
At that time, Canada had warships, aircraft and over 1,200 naval personnel already in the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, intercepting potential militant vessels and providing safe escort to other ships as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, the post-Sept. 11, 2001, multinational war on terrorism.
The U.S. briefing note states: "Following the meeting, political director Jim Wright emphasized that, despite public statements that the Canadian assets in the Straits of Hormuz will remain in the region exclusively to support Enduring Freedom, they will also be available to provide escort services in the Straits and will otherwise be discreetly useful to the military effort.
"The two ships in the Straits now are being augmented by two more en route, and there are patrol and supply aircraft in the U.A.E. [United Arab Emirates] which are also prepared to 'be useful.'
"This message tracks with others we have heard," the U.S. diplomat wrote in his briefing note to State Department bosses in Washington.
"While for domestic political reasons… the GOC [Government of Canada] has decided not to join in a U.S. coalition of the willing,… they are also prepared to be as helpful as possible in the military margins."
'Please destroy cable'
The original U.S. briefing cable, dated the day of the meeting, was marked "unclassified." Two days later, the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa issued an urgent internal notice to "please destroy previous cable," replacing it with the same message but marked "confidential."
The Canadian official involved, James Wright, is now Canada's high commissioner in London. He declined to comment for this report.
The U.S. ambassador to Canada at the time, Paul Cellucci, says he couldn't be at the meeting in Ottawa that day — he was stranded in a snowstorm in the U.S. — but the version of events in the leaked memo "sounds right."
"The message from the Canadians was pretty clear," Cellucci told CBC News. "We are not putting boots on the ground in Iraq. We will say good things about the United States and not-so-good things about Saddam Hussein."
And finally: "We will keep our ships in the Persian Gulf helping in the war on terror — and any way else we can help."
Exactly what that meant for the Canadian naval ships and surveillance aircraft in the Gulf region at the time — and how much they ultimately became involved in the Iraq war — remains a matter of considerable debate.
Before the invasion of Iraq, the duties of the Canadian ships had been mainly to protect other vessels from attacks by militants and to intercept craft suspected of gun-running and other potentially militant-related activities.
The issue is what, if anything, changed after the Chrétien government decreed those ships and aircraft couldn't be involved in intercepting vessels connected to the Iraq war.
"How do you know if something is connected to terrorism or Iraq? When you are intercepting unknown boats, you don't know what you have taken over until you have taken it over."
Lang says that after "painful" consultations with federal lawyers, the Department of National Defence issued Canadian naval commanders in the Gulf clear orders not to engage in anything to do with Operation Iraqi Freedom.
"But who knows whether in fact we were doing things indirectly for Iraqi Freedom? It is quite possible."
McCallum's former chief recalled a bitter internal battle over whether to pull the Canadian ships out of the Gulf altogether to avoid any confusion.
"For a long time, the [Canadian] military pushed really hard not to be in Afghanistan, and instead be part of a full-blown boots-on-the-ground Iraq invasion," Lang said.
"So the military was dead set against pulling out [of the Gulf], and in the end the government decided we would stay mainly, I think, for Canada-U.S. relations."
Former defence minister McCallum recalls he and his officials having "extremely long and detailed meetings to make sure that we were not in fact committing to help the war in Iraq."
"Now, what happens on the high seas is not something I can prove or disprove, but those were the orders that the military had."
U.S. didn't seem to care
Ironically, after all the fuss, the Americans didn't seem to care whether Canada contributed a lot of military might to the Iraq mission.
A former senior Canadian bureaucrat said: "The Americans knew we were stretched to the limit on the military side, and they really just wanted a political endorsement of their plan to go into Iraq."
Former U.S. ambassador Cellucci concurred: "We were looking for moral support. That's all we were looking for.… We were looking for 'we support the Americans.' "
A U.S. diplomatic briefing note prepared for Rumsfeld prior to the meeting states: "As for what Canada might bring to the table, our expectations should be modest."
The memo, also obtained by CBC News from WikiLeaks, goes on to say: "Canada probably would need to use assets currently devoted to Operation Enduring Freedom, including a naval task group [in the Gulf] and patrol and transport aircraft."
If the secret U.S. memos cast doubts on Canada's status as a refusenik of the Iraq war, the public also didn't exactly get the whole truth about a group of Canadian soldiers the government admitted were in Iraq.
From the outset, the Chrétien government said a "few" Canadian soldiers embedded with the U.S. and British militaries as exchange officers would be allowed to remain in their positions, even if they wound up in Iraq.
While the revelation caused a ruckus in Parliament, it all sounded relatively innocuous at the time.
But Lang, defence minister McCallum's chief of staff, says military brass were not entirely forthcoming on the issue. For instance, he says, even McCallum initially didn't know those soldiers were helping to plan the invasion of Iraq up to the highest levels of command, including a Canadian general.
That general is Walt Natynczyk, now Canada's chief of defence staff, who eight months after the invasion became deputy commander of 35,000 U.S. soldiers and other allied forces in Iraq. Lang says Natynczyk was also part of the team of mainly senior U.S. military brass that helped prepare for the invasion from a mobile command in Kuwait.
The Department of National Defence refused to comment on Natynczyk's role, if any, in the invasion of Iraq.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/9-canadian-stories-wikileaks-helped-bring-to-light-1.5094640
9 Canadian stories WikiLeaks helped bring to light
From a bomb plot in Montreal to Canada's role in Iraq, Julian Assange's website fed the beast
Now that Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been hauled out of the Ecuadorian embassy in London to face extradition to the United States on charges that he conspired to access a classified U.S. government computer, here is a look back at some of the Canadian journalism inspired by the controversial website.
1. Canada offers to aid Iraq invasion
The same day former prime minister Jean Chrétien publicly refused to join the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, a high-ranking Canadian official secretly promised the U.S. clandestine military support for the operation, according to a classified U.S. diplomatic memo obtained by CBC News from WikiLeaks.
The classified U.S. document showed that senior Canadian officials met the same day with high-ranking American and British diplomats at Foreign Affairs headquarters in Ottawa.
According to the account, Canadian Foreign Affairs official James Wright "emphasized" that contrary to public statements by the prime minister, Canadian naval and air forces could be "discreetly" put to use during the pending U.S.-led assault on Iraq and its aftermath.
"Following the meeting, political director Jim Wright emphasized that, despite public statements that the Canadian assets in the Straits of Hormuz will remain in the region exclusively to support Enduring Freedom, they will also be available to provide escort services in the Straits and will otherwise be discreetly useful to the military effort.
"This message tracks with others we have heard," the U.S. diplomat wrote in his briefing note to State Department bosses in Washington.
"While for domestic political reasons … the GOC [Government of Canada] has decided not to join in a U.S. coalition of the willing … they are also prepared to be as helpful as possible in the military margins."
2. Mentally ill Canadian man held at Bagram
U.S. diplomatic cables exposed a troubling case of a mentally ill Canadian-Egyptian man held in a U.S.-run Afghanistan prison for more than 18 months. Khaled Samy Abdallah Ismail, an Egyptian-born engineer, was captured in April 2006 and held at the Bagram Theater Internment Facility.
The U.S. military held Ismail until at least October 2007, often relegating him to segregation despite "largely circumstantial" evidence against him, while they debated whether to send him to Egypt or Canada.
Ismail is the only known Canadian to have been held at the Bagram detention facility other than OmarKhadr, who spent approximately four months there before being transferred to Guantanamo.
Government officials have refused to say if he was eventually transferred back to Canada.
3. Montreal Metro bomb plot
An anonymous letter sent to the RCMP in late 2004 warned of bomb threats to the Montreal Metro system and the U.S. Embassy in Canada by a man affiliated with Osama bin Laden, a secret U.S. diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks to CBC News revealed.
The letter, dated Nov. 29, 2004, spurred American government facilities across Canada to heighten security. Though the RCMP noted such letters are frequently received and the threat was doubted to be "credible," U.S. Embassy officials said in the document that few such threats specifically mention the U.S. Embassy.
The anonymous letter writer claimed to have overheard a man detailing a possible plot to bomb the Montreal Metro system on Dec. 15 and the U.S. Embassy on Jan. 10.
The brief letter in French, addressed to the RCMP's Montreal headquarters, included the suspected bomb plotter's name and cellphone number.
4. Curbing the oilsands
Former environment minister Jim Prentice told U.S. Ambassador David Jacobson that he was prepared to step in and impose tougher regulations on the oilsands if the industry damaged Canada's green reputation, according to another cable released by WikiLeaks.
"[Prentice] noted that if industry did not take voluntary measures and if the provincial government did not set more stringent regulations, he would step in and press federal environmental legislation," according to the cable, apparently written by Jacobson.
5. Libya threatens to nationalize Petro-Canada operations
Libya threatened to nationalize Petro-Canada's operations in the North African country over a spat with the Canadian government according to a leaked U.S. diplomatic cable.
Moammar Gadhafi — the Libyan leader, who has since died — cancelled a late September 2009 stopover in Newfoundland after Canada promised a tongue-lashing for the hero's welcome Libya extended to a man convicted for the Lockerbie bombing.
The U.S. cable, obtained from WikiLeaks by British newspaper the Daily Telegraph, said Libya's state oil company called in a senior Petro-Canada official with a threat to nationalize the firm's operations in Libya if Canada did not apologize.
6. Canada wanted to copy U.S. hostage policy
Canada sought U.S. help in crafting a national hostage policy, hoping to follow the secretive American policy as "closely as possible," a U.S. diplomatic cable leaked by whistleblower website WikiLeaks revealed.
In early January 2009 — after five kidnappings in as many months — Canada asked for a briefing on U.S. policy in hostage situations as it planned to create a formal national policy of its own.
"Canada seeks to co-ordinate its policy as closely as possible with that of the U.S.," the leaked U.S. State Department diplomatic cable states.
7. Harper's empty Arctic sovereignty bluster: U.S. cable
A WikiLeaks cable suggested the U.S. government viewed former prime minister Stephen Harper's talk about Canadian Arctic sovereignty as little more than empty chest-thumping designed to win votes.
In a diplomatic cable posted by WikiLeaks, the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa said the Conservatives have made successful political use of promises to beef up Canada's presence in the Arctic.
"Conservatives make concern for 'The North' part of their political brand … and it works," says the note, titled Canada's Conservative Government and its Arctic Focus.
8. U.S. viewed John Baird as rising star
American diplomats saw a bright future for Conservative MP John Baird, describing him as "a young, ambitious and dynamic minister who should be one of the Conservatives' top leadership prospects in the future," according to a leaked U.S. diplomatic cable.
Americans devoted an entire nine-page diplomatic cable to analyzing Baird after he was appointed to the tricky file of environment minister in January 2007.
"Baird clearly enjoys and is comfortable with the rough-and-tumble of parliamentary debate in contrast to his predecessor Rona Ambrose," says a section of the cable marked "embassy comment."
"It is clear that Baird hopes a strong performance handling the politically sensitive environmental file will eventually be rewarded by his appointment to an even higher-profile ministry."
9. U.S. contrasted 'forceful' Rae with 'meek' Ignatieff
After a meeting with David Jacobson, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, on Oct. 23, 2009, American diplomats found Bob Rae to be forceful, eloquent and dominant in comparison to then-Liberal leader and former rival Michael Ignatieff, according to leaked diplomatic cables.
Their relations "remain clearly tense, with Rae arriving late and then immediately dominating the conversation, while Ignatieff sat back almost meekly," says a cable marked "confidential."
"Rae was by far the more forceful and eloquent of the two and showed little deference to his party chief, without at any time displaying any rudeness or personal animosity.
"He came across as better read and more substantive than Ignatieff, who stuck mostly to pleasantries and generalities."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFq38d3Q9qY
LIVE: Wikileaks Editor in chief holds press briefing on Assange's "new criminal case"
19,245 views
Streamed live on Apr 10, 2019
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/assange-ecuador-embassy-1.5085830
Ecuador refutes WikiLeaks, denies decision made to expel Julian Assange
Organization says it has been told founder could be kicked out within 'hours to days'
A
senior Ecuadorian official said no decision has been made to expel
Julian Assange from the country's embassy in London, despite tweets from
WikiLeaks that sources had told it he could be kicked out within "hours
to days."
A small group of protesters and supporters of the WikiLeaks founder gathered Thursday outside the embassy in London where Assange has been holed up since August 2012. He has feared extradition to the U.S. since WikiLeaks published thousands of classified military and diplomatic cables.
Earlier, WikiLeaks tweeted that a "high level source within the Ecuadorian state" said there was an agreement in place with British authorities to expel Assange.
Another tweet said it had received a secondary confirmation from another high-level source.
Ecuador's
foreign ministry released a statement saying it "doesn't comment on
rumours, theories or conjectures that don't have any documented
backing."
British police stationed armed officers outside the embassy; the red-brick building with white window frames and balconies was quiet. No embassy official or any British authorities commented on the WikiLeaks founder's status.
Asked
about the presence of armed officers outside the Ecuadorian Embassy,
London's Metropolitan Police force said there had been no change in
police procedure.
Police said in a statement there is an active warrant for Assange's arrest and that the police are "obliged to execute that warrant should he leave the embassy."
Police withdrew the round-the-clock guard outside the embassy in October 2015 after more than three years in favour of what the service called a "covert" approach.
Later, a top official said while Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno was angered by the apparent hacking of his personal communications, he denied WikiLeaks' claim and said no decision had been taken to expel Assange from the embassy. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the matter.
On
Tuesday, Moreno blamed WikiLeaks for recent allegations of offshore
corruption that appeared in local media outlets and the publication of
family photos to social media.
Moreno accused WikiLeaks of intercepting phone calls and private conversations as well as "photos of my bedroom, what I eat, and how my wife and daughters and friends dance."
Moreno provided no evidence, but the speech reflected ongoing tension between Assange and his hosts at the embassy.
WikiLeaks in a statement called Moreno's charges "completely bogus," saying it reported on the accusations of corruption against the president only after Ecuador's legislature investigated the issue.
Assange's defence team suggested on Twitter that Moreno was trying to use the scandal to pressure the WikiLeaks founder.
A small group of protesters and supporters of the WikiLeaks founder gathered Thursday outside the embassy in London where Assange has been holed up since August 2012. He has feared extradition to the U.S. since WikiLeaks published thousands of classified military and diplomatic cables.
Earlier, WikiLeaks tweeted that a "high level source within the Ecuadorian state" said there was an agreement in place with British authorities to expel Assange.
Another tweet said it had received a secondary confirmation from another high-level source.
BREAKING: A high level source within the Ecuadorian state has told @WikiLeaks that Julian Assange will be expelled within "hours to days" using the #INAPapers offshore scandal as a pretext--and that it already has an agreement with the UK for his arrest.https://defend.wikileaks.org/2019/04/03/ecuador-twists-embarrassing-ina-papers-into-pretext-to-oust-assange/ …
British police stationed armed officers outside the embassy; the red-brick building with white window frames and balconies was quiet. No embassy official or any British authorities commented on the WikiLeaks founder's status.
Police said in a statement there is an active warrant for Assange's arrest and that the police are "obliged to execute that warrant should he leave the embassy."
Police withdrew the round-the-clock guard outside the embassy in October 2015 after more than three years in favour of what the service called a "covert" approach.
Ongoing tensions between Assange, hosts
Later, a top official said while Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno was angered by the apparent hacking of his personal communications, he denied WikiLeaks' claim and said no decision had been taken to expel Assange from the embassy. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the matter.
Moreno accused WikiLeaks of intercepting phone calls and private conversations as well as "photos of my bedroom, what I eat, and how my wife and daughters and friends dance."
Moreno provided no evidence, but the speech reflected ongoing tension between Assange and his hosts at the embassy.
WikiLeaks in a statement called Moreno's charges "completely bogus," saying it reported on the accusations of corruption against the president only after Ecuador's legislature investigated the issue.
Assange's defence team suggested on Twitter that Moreno was trying to use the scandal to pressure the WikiLeaks founder.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/manning-jailed-trial-1.5048503
Chelsea Manning jailed for refusing to testify in WikiLeaks case
'I will not participate in a secret process that I morally object to,' says Manning
Former
U.S. army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning has been jailed for
refusing to testify to a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks.
U.S. District Judge Claude Hilton ordered Manning to jail Friday after a brief hearing in Alexandria, Va., which Manning confirmed she has no intention of testifying. She told the judge she "will accept whatever you bring upon me."
Manning has said she objects to the secrecy of the grand jury process and already revealed everything she knows at her court-martial. She said prosecutors have granted her immunity for her testimony, which eliminates her ability to invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
"I
will not participate in a secret process that I morally object to,
particularly one that has been used to entrap and persecute activists
for protected political speech," she said in a statement released after
she was taken into custody.
The judge said Manning will remain jailed until she testifies or until the grand jury concludes its work.
Manning's lawyers had asked that she be sent to home confinement instead of the jail, because of medical complications she faces.
The judge said U.S. marshals can handle her medical care. Prosecutor Tracy McCormick said the jail and the marshals have assured the government that her medical needs can be met.
Manning is seen in this booking photo provided by the Alexandria Sheriff's Office in Virginia. (Alexandria Sheriff's Office via AP)
Amy Bertsch, spokesperson for the Alexandria jail, confirmed Friday that Manning had been booked.
"Specific details about Ms. Manning's confinement will not be made public due to security and privacy concerns," Alexandria Sheriff Dana Lawhorne said in a statement. "We will work closely with the U.S. Marshals to ensure her proper care while she remains at our facility."
Manning acknowledged going into Friday's hearing that she might well be incarcerated at its conclusion. Outside the courthouse, about 10 protesters rallied in her support.
"Obviously, prison is a terrible place," Manning said. "I don't see the purpose to incarcerate people."
Manning served seven years of a 35-year military sentence for leaking a trove of military and diplomatic documents to the anti-secrecy website before then-President Barack Obama commuted her sentence.
The Wikileaks investigation has been ongoing for a long time. Last year, prosecutors in Alexandria inadvertently disclosed that Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is facing unspecified, sealed criminal charges in the district.
Wikileaks also has emerged as an important part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into possible Russian meddling into the 2016 presidential election, as investigators focus on whether President Donald Trump's campaign knew Russian hackers were going to provide emails to Wikileaks stolen from Democratic organizations, including presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's campaign.
Last
year, prosecutors in Alexandria inadvertently disclosed that Wikileaks
founder Julian Assange is facing unspecified, sealed criminal charges in
the district. (Frank Augstein/Associated Press)
But there is no indication that the Alexandria grand jury's investigation of Wikileaks is related to the Mueller investigation.
McCormick said Manning can end the incarceration on the civil charge simply by following the law and testifying.
"We hope she changes her mind now," McCormick said.
Manning's lawyer, Moira Meltzer-Cohen, said she believes jailing Manning is an act of cruelty given her medical issues, and said there are many documented issues of jails and prisons providing inadequate medical care for transgender inmates. She said Manning's one-bedroom apartment would be a sufficient manner of confinement.
Meltzer-Cohen said after the hearing that the detention order can be appealed, but did not comment on whether such an appeal would be filed.
U.S. District Judge Claude Hilton ordered Manning to jail Friday after a brief hearing in Alexandria, Va., which Manning confirmed she has no intention of testifying. She told the judge she "will accept whatever you bring upon me."
Manning has said she objects to the secrecy of the grand jury process and already revealed everything she knows at her court-martial. She said prosecutors have granted her immunity for her testimony, which eliminates her ability to invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
The judge said Manning will remain jailed until she testifies or until the grand jury concludes its work.
Manning's lawyers had asked that she be sent to home confinement instead of the jail, because of medical complications she faces.
The judge said U.S. marshals can handle her medical care. Prosecutor Tracy McCormick said the jail and the marshals have assured the government that her medical needs can be met.
"Specific details about Ms. Manning's confinement will not be made public due to security and privacy concerns," Alexandria Sheriff Dana Lawhorne said in a statement. "We will work closely with the U.S. Marshals to ensure her proper care while she remains at our facility."
Manning acknowledged going into Friday's hearing that she might well be incarcerated at its conclusion. Outside the courthouse, about 10 protesters rallied in her support.
"Obviously, prison is a terrible place," Manning said. "I don't see the purpose to incarcerate people."
'We hope she changes her mind now'
Manning served seven years of a 35-year military sentence for leaking a trove of military and diplomatic documents to the anti-secrecy website before then-President Barack Obama commuted her sentence.
The Wikileaks investigation has been ongoing for a long time. Last year, prosecutors in Alexandria inadvertently disclosed that Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is facing unspecified, sealed criminal charges in the district.
Wikileaks also has emerged as an important part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into possible Russian meddling into the 2016 presidential election, as investigators focus on whether President Donald Trump's campaign knew Russian hackers were going to provide emails to Wikileaks stolen from Democratic organizations, including presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's campaign.
McCormick said Manning can end the incarceration on the civil charge simply by following the law and testifying.
"We hope she changes her mind now," McCormick said.
Manning's lawyer, Moira Meltzer-Cohen, said she believes jailing Manning is an act of cruelty given her medical issues, and said there are many documented issues of jails and prisons providing inadequate medical care for transgender inmates. She said Manning's one-bedroom apartment would be a sufficient manner of confinement.
Meltzer-Cohen said after the hearing that the detention order can be appealed, but did not comment on whether such an appeal would be filed.
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